Residents of Hampton, VA, who own heat pumps should always beware of the possibility of refrigerant leaks. Leaking refrigerant can compromise your heat pump’s performance and seriously endanger your health. Here are three ways to identify a refrigerant leak in a heat pump:
Sweet Smell
Refrigerant has an odd odor resembling ether, chloroform or antifreeze. It also smells rather sweet. If you notice that such a smell has suddenly permeated your home, it’s reasonable to suspect that your heat pump has begun leaking refrigerant.
Of course, you should use your common sense. If you have chlorine or antifreeze in your garage and smell it there, you probably aren’t dealing with a refrigerant leak. However, if the smell is out of place, it’s likely that refrigerant is leaking.
Hissing, Bubbling or Gurgling Noises
Along with your nose, your ears are some of the most effective tools for detecting refrigerant leaks. When gaseous refrigerant leaks out of your heat pump’s refrigerant lines, air will swiftly flow in to displace it, creating air bubbles. These bubbles and their formation may create gurgling or hissing sounds, so you need to listen carefully for these.
Inefficient Performance
For many homeowners, the chief draw to using a heat pump is that it generally offers more efficient performance than a traditional HVAC system. One of the keys to this efficiency is refrigerant, which enables heat pumps to move heat from one location to another. Hence, although there are many possible reasons your heat pump’s efficiency and general performance might decline, a refrigerant leak is always a possible explanation.
If your system leaks refrigerant, don’t attempt to refill it on your own. Instead, ask a trained HVAC professional to do it while making repairs or performing maintenance services.
We advise all residents of Hampton, VA, to keep their ears and noses alert to the possibility of a refrigerant leak from their heat pump. If you think that’s happened, call Kearney & Sons to ask for our HVAC services.
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